1 <!doctype linuxdoc system>
4 <title>cl65 Users Guide
5 <author>Ullrich von Bassewitz, <htmlurl url="mailto:uz@cc65.org" name="uz@cc65.org">
6 <date>01.08.2000, 27.11.2000, 02.10.2001
9 cl65 is the compile & link utility for cc65, the 6502 C compiler. It was
10 designed as a smart frontend for the C compiler (cc65), the assembler (ca65),
11 the object file converter (co65), and the linker (ld65).
14 <!-- Table of contents -->
17 <!-- Begin the document -->
21 cl65 is a frontend for cc65, ca65, co65 and ld65. While you may not use the
22 full power of the tools when calling them through cl65, most features are
23 available, and the use of cl65 is much simpler.
28 The cl65 compile and link utility may be used to convert, compile, assemble
29 and link files. While the separate tools do just one step, cl65 knows how to
30 build object files from C files (by calling the compiler, then the assembler)
34 ---------------------------------------------------------------------------
35 Usage: cl65 [options] file [...]
37 -c Compile and assemble but don't link
41 -l Create an assembler listing
42 -m name Create a map file
43 -mm model Set the memory model
44 -o name Name the output file
45 -r Enable register variables
46 -t sys Set the target system
47 -u sym Force an import of symbol `sym'
50 -C name Use linker config file
51 -Cl Make local variables static
52 -D sym[=defn] Define a preprocessor symbol
53 -I dir Set a compiler include directory path
54 -L path Specify a library search path
55 -Ln name Create a VICE label file
57 -Oi Optimize code, inline functions
58 -Or Optimize code, honour the register keyword
59 -Os Optimize code, inline known C funtions
60 -S Compile but don't assemble and link
61 -T Include source as comment
62 -V Print the version number
64 -Wa options Pass options to the assembler
65 -Wl options Pass options to the linker
68 --add-source Include source as comment
69 --asm-args options Pass options to the assembler
70 --asm-define sym[=v] Define an assembler symbol
71 --asm-include-dir dir Set an assembler include directory
72 --bss-label name Define and export a BSS segment label
73 --bss-name seg Set the name of the BSS segment
74 --cfg-path path Specify a config file search path
75 --check-stack Generate stack overflow checks
76 --code-label name Define and export a CODE segment label
77 --code-name seg Set the name of the CODE segment
78 --codesize x Accept larger code by factor x
79 --config name Use linker config file
80 --cpu type Set cpu type
81 --create-dep Create a make dependency file
82 --data-label name Define and export a DATA segment label
83 --data-name seg Set the name of the DATA segment
85 --debug-info Add debug info
86 --feature name Set an emulation feature
87 --force-import sym Force an import of symbol `sym'
88 --forget-inc-paths Forget include search paths (compiler)
89 --help Help (this text)
90 --include-dir dir Set a compiler include directory path
91 --ld-args options Pass options to the linker
92 --lib file Link this library
93 --lib-path path Specify a library search path
94 --list-targets List all available targets
95 --listing Create an assembler listing
96 --list-bytes n Number of bytes per assembler listing line
97 --mapfile name Create a map file
98 --memory-model model Set the memory model
99 --module Link as a module
100 --module-id id Specify a module id for the linker
101 --o65-model model Override the o65 model
102 --obj file Link this object file
103 --obj-path path Specify an object file search path
104 --register-space b Set space available for register variables
105 --register-vars Enable register variables
106 --rodata-name seg Set the name of the RODATA segment
107 --signed-chars Default characters are signed
108 --standard std Language standard (c89, c99, cc65)
109 --start-addr addr Set the default start address
110 --static-locals Make local variables static
111 --target sys Set the target system
112 --version Print the version number
113 --verbose Verbose mode
114 --zeropage-label name Define and export a ZEROPAGE segment label
115 --zeropage-name seg Set the name of the ZEROPAGE segment
116 ---------------------------------------------------------------------------
119 Most of the options have the same meaning than the corresponding compiler,
120 assembler or linker option. See the documentation for these tools for an
121 explanation. If an option is available for more than one of the tools, it
122 is set for all tools, where it is available. One example for this is <tt/-v/:
123 The compiler, the assembler and the linker are all called with the <tt/-v/
126 There are a few remaining options that control the behaviour of cl65:
130 <tag><tt>-S</tt></tag>
132 This option forces cl65 to stop after the assembly step. This means that
133 C files are translated into assembler files, but nothing more is done.
134 Assembler files, object files and libraries given on the command line
138 <tag><tt>-c</tt></tag>
140 This options forces cl65 to stop after the assembly step. This means
141 that C and assembler files given on the command line are translated into
142 object files, but there is no link step, and object files and libraries
143 given on the command line are ignored.
146 <tag><tt>-o name</tt></tag>
148 The -o option is used for the target name in the final step. This causes
149 problems, if the linker will not be called, and there are several input
150 files on the command line. In this case, the name given with -o will be
151 used for all of them, which makes the option pretty useless. You
152 shouldn't use -o when more than one output file is created.
155 <tag><tt>-t sys, --target sys</tt></tag>
157 The default for this option is different from the compiler and linker in the
158 case that the option is missing: While the other tools (compiler, assembler
159 and linker) will use the "none" system settings by default, cl65 will use
160 the C64 as a target system by default. This was chosen since most people
161 seem to use cc65 to develop for the C64.
163 <tag><tt>-Wa options, --asm-args options</tt></tag>
165 Pass options directly to the assembler. This may be used to pass options
166 that aren't directly supported by cl65. Several options may be separated by
167 commas, the commas are replaced by spaces when passing them to the
168 assembler. Beware: Passing arguments directly to the assembler may interfere
169 with some of the defaults, because cl65 doesn't parse the options passed. So
170 if cl65 supports an option by itself, do not pass this option to the
171 assembler by means of the <tt/-Wa/ switch.
173 <tag><tt>-Wl options, --ld-args options</tt></tag>
175 Pass options directly to the linker. This may be used to pass options that
176 aren't directly supported by cl65. Several options may be separated by
177 commas, the commas are replaced by spaces when passing them to the linker.
178 Beware: Passing arguments directly to the linker may interfere with some of
179 the defaults, because cl65 doesn't parse the options passed. So if cl65
180 supports an option by itself, do not pass this option to the linker by means
181 of the <tt/-Wl/ switch.
189 Since cl65 was created to simplify the use of the cc65 development
190 package, it tries to be smart about several things.
194 <item> If you don't give a target system on the command line, cl65
197 <item> When linking, cl65 will supply the names of the startup file and
198 library for the target system to the linker, so you don't have to do
201 <item> If the final step is the linker, and the name of the output file was
202 not explicitly given, cl65 will use the name of the first input file
203 without the extension, provided that the name of this file has an
204 extension. So you don't need to name the executable name in most
205 cases, just give the name of your "main" file as first input file.
208 The type of an input file is derived from its extension:
211 <item>C files: <tt/.c/
212 <item>Assembler files: <tt/.s/, <tt/.asm/, <tt/.a65/
213 <item>Object files: <tt/.o/ <tt/.obj/
214 <item>Libraries: <tt/.a/, <tt/.lib/
215 <item>GEOS resource files: <tt/.grc/
216 <item>o65 files: <tt/.o65/, <tt/.emd/, <tt/.joy/, <tt/.tgi/
219 Please note that the program cannot handle input files with unknown file
225 The morse trainer software, which consists of one C file (morse.c) and one
226 assembler file (irq.s) will need the following separate steps to compile
227 into an executable named morse:
230 cc65 -g -Oi -t c64 morse.c
233 ld65 -t c64 -o morse c64.o morse.o irq.o c64.lib
236 When using cl65, this is simplified to
239 cl65 -g -Oi morse.c irq.s
242 As a general rule, you may use cl65 instead of cc65 at most times,
243 especially in makefiles to build object files directly from C files. Use
254 <sect>Bugs/Feedback<p>
256 If you have problems using the utility, if you find any bugs, or if you're
257 doing something interesting with it, I would be glad to hear from you. Feel
258 free to contact me by email (<htmlurl url="mailto:uz@cc65.org" name="uz@cc65.org">).
264 cl65 (and all cc65 binutils) are (C) Copyright 1998-2004 Ullrich von
265 Bassewitz. For usage of the binaries and/or sources the following
268 This software is provided 'as-is', without any expressed or implied
269 warranty. In no event will the authors be held liable for any damages
270 arising from the use of this software.
272 Permission is granted to anyone to use this software for any purpose,
273 including commercial applications, and to alter it and redistribute it
274 freely, subject to the following restrictions:
277 <item> The origin of this software must not be misrepresented; you must not
278 claim that you wrote the original software. If you use this software
279 in a product, an acknowledgment in the product documentation would be
280 appreciated but is not required.
281 <item> Altered source versions must be plainly marked as such, and must not
282 be misrepresented as being the original software.
283 <item> This notice may not be removed or altered from any source